Calibration of β Gauges for Determining Leaf Water Status

Abstract

The recent development of β gauges for the indirect determination of the water status of plants has had a widespread impact on plant ecological-physiological research. Calibration of these instruments has, however, been tedious and cumbersome, involving repeated simultaneous measurements of β absorption and leaf water content. This procedure can be much simplified, as long as the β absorption at a single known relative water content is measured, together with the turgid and dry weights of a sample of leaf discs.